The Difference between Luther and Muntzer...

The Reformation was a reaction to the Catholic Church and ways of connecting the people to God. Many of the reason for the reformation had to do with the religious side of following the seven sacraments and having the Pope is the bridge for the soul to God but some use the social reasons and political reason to start a revolt. Many of the peasants during the Reformation could not read but instead had wood carving to understand what Luther was preaching; Luther would preach that peasants and clergymen were no different in the eyes of God and they should have the same respect and surroundings. Peasants took this a step further and demanded that they enjoys the spoils of life, where they took it into their own hand a rioted and saying that it was in the name of God.

Thomas Muntzer uses the bible as a way to spread the demand for equal rights among the lords, nobles, and peasants; he preached that the lords and nobles would have nothing if it was not for the peasants. So he and peasant took it to violence where they would destroy what they thought was wrong and took anything that they wanted. Luther who wanted equal rights among people, was with them as first but soon after he learned of the bloodshed and how God name was used in the blood revolt then turned his back. Luther said that God did not want his name used for selfish greed but only for the saving of one’s soul.

The revolt quickly fizzled away since there was no help for the peasants, over a hundred thousand peasants were taken to their deaths.

A Large Come back!

Where there is a Reformation there has to be a Counter Reformation and that is where the papal took the next step in the counter attack on the Protestant. The Council of Trent (1545 – 1563)proposed by Pope Paul III to look into the Protestant heresies by going back to the scriptures and tradition that were implied by the bible to work against the Protestant. It was mainly used to answer the Protestants’ disputes and look into their own dealing to fix what had faltered from the Rules of Benedict.

The Council of Trent wanted to go back to the words of the Bible to demonstrate that their way was the way of God and that the teaching of the cardinals and fathers were the words of God, they decreed “that they themselves shall personally, each in his own church, announce the Scared Scriptures and the divined law, or, if lawfully hindered, have it done by those whom thay shall appoint to the office of preaching” (Janz, 421). They also looked into the path of the clergy men were following, the Council wanted to emphasize the Rules of Benedict again; some official had stray away from it, they had mistresses and lived a life of luxury, “they shall forthwith and always wear the tonsure and the clerical garb”; in other words give up all worldly possession and only have a relationship with God.

The Council of Trent did not just “attack” the Protestant but look in the Catholic System itself and try to fix what was broken before they started to preach and reach out to others.

Reference
Janz, Dennis R. A Reformation Reader. Fortress Press. MN. 2008.

Courtesan - The Thirst for Knowledge

Courtesan were consider high class prostitute and they were used for the enjoyment of men but underneath all the smiles and glasses of wine, there lies educated women who knew how to talk the talk and walk the walk. It was obvious that women were consider to be the one who took care of the children and home; there was no need for them to read, understand art, have in-depth conversations with the men. But a Courtesan would have to all that the knowledge about world activities, famous books and poetry, science, and mathematics. They have to be up to the new stages of the world so they may influence the kings and rulers that they lay with; therefore knowledge is one of the best qualities that a courtesan may have.

Courtesan were allowed to read all the book they wanted, there were no subject to obscure for them; they were allowed to read so that they may have articles to discuss with the men they woo. With the knowledge that they pick up from book they may how comments and quick wit to outsmart the men as a way of flirtation. Many of the women were trained in music and could play many songs for their patrons; engage their patron in music. When they play their music it ‘is the most sweet pastime after the rain’ (Ross, 427), when the Courtesan would play for the men it would make them melt. Some men would consider it ‘very refreshing of all worldly pains and grief’ (Ross, 427). The Courtesan would have to know a wide rage of music to please their companion.

Another trait Courtesan would have is the skills in amusing games to keep the men entertained, the picture of Sofonisba Anguisola, A Game of Chess with the Painter’s 3 sisters and a Servant could be used an example of Courtesan in training because these girl were enjoying a man game, a game that took time to learn and understand. Looking a the oldest sister, she has a slight smile in her face as if she was calling to you to come play the game.
Courtesan had to speak the talk of men but sway with beauty and light; to keep up with men they had to be educated like the men.

Reference
Ross, J.B., McLaughlin, M.M. The Portable Renaissance Reader. Penguin Books, New York. 1953.

Zophy, J.W. A Short History of Renaissance and Reformation Europe : Dances over Fire and Water. Pearson, New Jersey. 2009.

The Girl with the Pearl Earring

The film “Girl with the Pearl Earring” (2008) demonstrate how an artist craves to understand where feeling and the idea of being human comes from; Johannes Vermeer lives a life of luxury and is able to see and experience the world of the upper class but in the film he not satisfy with how people see and comprehend his work. Most people only see a pretty picture; they do not understand the depth of where the picture comes from until he meets Griet, a young girl who comes to work from the Vermeer family after her own family has reached hard times.

Griet is hired as a maid and is uprooted from her family in the poorer district to the living area near the Delft Canal; in the film, the children and the mother does not care for Griet, rather they look at her as a low human being. Two reasons could be for this 1. She is uneducated by their standards 2. She is not Catholic; during this time the Catholic Church is pushing for the reform of other Christians to come to the Church. Griet is not much like the other girls at her age because she does not blindly follow her religion as her mother tells her to cover her ears during their prayers but is curious when they have the baptism of the new born baby.

In the film Vermeer’s paintings goes into the basic human life, where as he is surrounded by the riches of money, he paints maid and simple events of the day. He wife who is very jealous of Griet because she becomes close to Vermeer during her employment; is the example of a person who only cares for money who does not understand anything beyond gorgeous jewels and lavish parties; whereas Griet is an example of the complete opposite, she goes back to being human with the bare minimum that she needs. She is what Vermeer wants to show in his painting, where people do not have all the wealth but they can still live; living with the bare necessaries for life, where she is still happy and fulfilled. The better example is going back to root of human existence, where all the need is food, water, and shelter. In his painting of “The women with the water jug” it portrays a woman in light with a jug of water without any other extravagant procession around her. The water jug can be looked at being the most important item in the picture and a viewer can see that water is all she needs to be fulfilled, not jewels or material wealth. That is going back to natural state of life where all a person need is food, water, and shelter.

As Griet continues to work for the family, she notices how unhappy everyone is and their only concern is how people look at them and how much money is in the bank. She finds some company in Pieter, the local butcher man’s son, whom she fosters a relationship with and he proposes marriage to her. In this scene, Pieter want Griet to get away from the family and become his wife, again going back to naturalism, where a man and women bond to make a family not wanting material wealth. The way Pieter acts, he does not yearns for it but only wants the pure and innocence love of Griet.

The film continues on to where Vermeer is commissions to paint a picture of Griet, where he paints in her in the plain clothing and head dress, with almost no expression on her face; the only thing that makes a statement is her eyes and the pearl earrings. Her eyes are like a window to her soul, not yet corrupted by money and greed, where she has never been spoil by money. The pearl earring can be taken as a pure and natural wonder, as a pearl is form by an oyster from sand. Both can be taken as undisturbed beauty. Her beauty comes from being naive, the pearl a product of natural product in nature.

Vermeer’s wife founds out that Griet was allowed to wears her pearls and in an uproar where her husband does not paints her and is jealous of Griet, kicks her out of the Vermeer home and leaves Griet to return quietly home to her parents.
The film shows the Catholic Church hold on the protestant because there is a definite mistreatment of the Griet compared to her fellow maid who were Catholic and the film also demonstrated the motivation of Northern Renaissance influences on art or rather going back to natural state of life.

Reference
http://www.nga.gov/feature/vermeer/bio.shtm
https://blackboard.csupomona.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_24324_1

European Witch Trials

Websites:
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/Ftrials/salem/witchhistory.html

European Witch trials happened all over Europe; there is evidence in witch hunts or persecution as early as 560BC, in a book written by Jews to describe what they thought was a witch or how to find one. During the 1400s, the witch craze was raging; many of the Catharism were sought after, attacked, and accused of being a witch. Many who feared prosecution would fee to Germany and Savoy, where they were still arrested and tortured. Most, who were accused, would be tortured until they confessed their ‘crime’; mostly the crime of witchcraft would be associated with the demon who would take over the bodies and do horrible things. Then Pope Innocent the III, announced that the devil was in Germany.
The early 1500s, due to the effect of mass fear, more than 500 were burned at the stalk in Switzerland and more than 1000 were burned in Italy. Once the Protestant Reformation was developed, it’s take on witchcraft was no less of the Catholic Church. In France, a man said he had more than 100, 000 witches running around the forest under his control. Throughout Europe witch craze, it was more than 80% of the ones who were accused of witchcraft were women. In Scotland, King James begun his witch craze after his marriage to Princess Anne, After many horrible accident on the sea , all the blame was on six women, who they said used witch craft to start the storms.

Worthy of Power?

In the ‘Circle of Power’ by Nicoolo Machiavelli writes the article not to persuades the reader of which form of government; monarchy, oligarchy, and democracy is good or bad but to demonstrate both sides and leaves it for the reader to decide.

Machiavelli discusses how government is a product of natural state of human living; a natural state of desire for power from an individual or group. Even with the simple idea of power and leadership can be compared with a small group of hunters and gathers with an organizer showing them the right path to collect food or make the decision of where they should live. He writes “as the human race increased, the necessity for uniting themselves […], they chose the strongest and most courageous from amongst them and placed him at their head, promising to obey him’ (Ross, 264). As a emerging state or group they the idea of having one leader make the choice for them is ideal because of the uncertainties of what lies ahead of them. One man could decide on what duties should be divide up and what would bring the community up and allow them prosper. But as Darwin theory of survival of the species, human would take advantage of the power and would turn it for their benefit. Like a child who learns from the environment and activities that he is in would then understand that one man rule maybe too one sided to benefit the group; the group may see more and more of the ideas of their leader and the ideas are hunting them more helping them; they might put in a check and balance system for the leader which then turns their government into an oligarchy. A group may feel they could be a better leader; they would visualize ‘the causes of disorders, conspiracies, and plot against the sovereigns’ (Ross, 265). As an emerging state or young developing country it not necessary for the ‘right government’ but more of a strongest contender will survive. Which type of government that has the support, would hold up through the test of time.

In the ‘Florentine’, Machiavelli life was more of an up battle in proving himself that he was worth more than what he was born into; he demonstrated his depth of knowledge, his innocent, and his pride for his country. He was accused of crimes that he did not commit; he would not move up the ranks with in the government due to his lack of money and there he would see the government developing coming from men who had money, who were able to buy their way into the seat of power. They could not rule because they did not have a feel for the people, a feel for what they wanted, how to improve their lives but the king would only fulfilled his own desires

Machiavelli understands that all forms of government is not perfect, indeed they are many flaws, most cause by the greed of humans. From reading the article, Machiavelli might have feel power can be brought instead of earn through demonstration of skills, people who can afford will rule but they may not always be the most fit one to do so. The one who have talent may be not be called upon due to social class and birth order; those two categories has nothing to with being a good ruler but they will never be heard because they are poor and when they die, their talent dies with them.

Reference

Ross, B. The Portable Renaissance Reader. Penguin Books, New York. 1953.

Pierpont, C. ‘The Florentine’

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2008/09/15/080915crat_atlarge_pierpont?currentPage=all

The Dark Ages - Zophy 1, 2, &3

Zophy goes into describing the Renaissance and Reformation era as a dark time, using the words of "warfare, periodic famine, high infant mortality, terrible health care, ... grinding poverty." In way Zophy is saying the Renaissance brought Europe up from it was and allowed it to shine more brightly.
Renaissance is to go back to nature, allowing people shed off what they were before and go back to a natural state, relearn what they already know, so they may understand it more fully and deeply.


Peasants during the period has an extremely hard life; food was scarce, they worked hard and aged rapidly. Girls were married off at a young age to older men but where they might not have the freedom as all the men, they were the glue that held the household together. Even for the ones who were privileged enough manors had to pay taxes to use their master grain mills or equipment. Taxes were as high as a third of their annual income. And when weather was bad or no food was produced they would starve to death. Town dwellers had a hard life also; about a third of the dwellers were apprentices, journeymen, gardeners, paupers, servant and prostitutes. Some were so poor that they had to receive bread from the town.

Britain housed many dark events through out ts history; The black Plague killed off a third of the populations, the epidemic cause a social tension between Christians and Jews. Some were caused by the church, the church would rules over the poeple and tell people what to thnk. When someone who is a young, accomplish clergy man would cahllenge the chruch by telling them they are wrong with indulging themselves, they would all turn against him.